Assistant Manager (Programmes), Brain and Mind Institute at Aga Khan University Hospital

Assistant Manager (Programmes), Brain and Mind Institute

Entity:
Office of the Provost

Location:
Karachi, Pakistan

Introduction:
Aga Khan University, chartered in 1983 as Pakistan's first private international university, is committed to the provision of education, research, and health care of international standards relevant to Pakistan and the region. The affiliated Aga Khan University Hospital provides state-of-the-art clinical facilities and well-equipped diagnostic services. The University currently has teaching sites in Pakistan, East Africa, the United Kingdom, and Afghanistan, and is a major component of the Aga Khan Development Network.

As an equal opportunity employer, AKU believes in promoting a diverse and inclusive culture and is committed to adopt appropriate standards for safeguarding and promoting a respectful relationship with and between diverse workforce of its faculty, staff, trainees, volunteers, beneficiaries, wider communities, and other stakeholders with whom it works, including children and vulnerable adults and expects all employees/trainees and partners to share this commitment.

The Brain and Mind Institute (BMI) is a newly minted entity at the Aga Khan University (AKU), with key hubs in Nairobi (for East Africa) and Karachi (for South and Central Asia). The BMI seeks to build capacity in the domains of mental health and neuroscience. In collaboration with partners, the Institute is advancing research leadership capacity and support service delivery across East Africa and South Asia, and other regions served by the AKU. The Institute supports a hub for scholarship exchange and action on mental health issues, as well as educational, clinical, and community-based programs. BMI’s research focuses on the context of today’s youth in Africa and South Asia, while our programmatic offerings address mental health related and brain health issues, including stigma and resiliency. A significant area of interest is the implementation of science-based programming in hospital and community settings that translate new discoveries into prevention and treatment programs.

This is a grant-funded contractual position.

Responsibilities:
You will be responsible to:

• prepare, review, and update programme documents, templates, and communication materials
• develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures for administrative and programmatic processes to ensure standardised practices across sites
• ensure document filing systems are organised, current, and accessible to the team
• develop and maintain project progress tracking tools including Gantt Charts, activity trackers, and milestone logs
• ensure implementation of goals and objectives according to set timelines, flagging delays or risks to the Supervisor
• regularly review contributions to programme plans and coordinate activities with the needs of the programme at large
• provide overall administrative and operational support to the Supervisor and programme team
• coordinate logistics for field activities, trainings, workshops, and team events
• support procurement processes for programme goods and services in line with institutional procedures
• maintain and update the master programme workplan on a regular basis, incorporating team inputs and reflecting actual progress
• coordinate with field teams, partners, and consultants to ensure activity timelines are adhered to
• prepare consolidated workplan progress updates for review by the Supervisor prior to donor or institutional submission
• serve as the primary day-to-day point of contact for implementing partners, community stakeholders, and field offices
• facilitate regular coordination meetings with partners, document minutes, and track action points to completion
• maintain organised records of partnership agreements, MoUs, and stakeholder communication logs
• escalate collaborator issues or challenges to the Supervisor
• track activity-level expenditures against approved budgets and flag deviations to the Supervisor
• maintain expense logs and support preparation of financial reports and liquidations for programme activities
• coordinate with the finance team on procurement requests, payment processing, and vendor documentation
• manage day-to-day HR administrative processes for field and programme staff, including attendance, leave tracking, and timesheet management
• coordinate onboarding logistics for new programme staff, including documentation, induction scheduling, and equipment setup
• liaise with HR on contractual and administrative matters for project staff, escalating issues to the Supervisor as needed
• compile and draft regular programme progress reports consolidating updates from all team members and field sites
• maintain a reporting calendar and proactively follow up with team members to ensure inputs are received on time
• prepare first drafts of narrative sections for donor reports and internal updates for review by the Supervisor.

Requirements:
You should have:

• a minimum of Master’s degree in Public Health, Health Management, Management or related field preferred
• training or certification in project management (e.g., project cycle management, PMP, or equivalent) is an advantage
• at least two years of relevant experience in programme coordination, research administration, or a related role
• demonstrated experience in developing and maintaining project tracking tools, SOPs, and administrative systems.
• knowledge of research principles, concepts, practices, and methods.
• knowledge of research paper writing.
• prior experience coordinating implementation activities across multiple field sites.
• experience managing partner relationships and facilitating coordination meetings.
• familiarity with grant management systems and activity-level budget tracking.
• experience handling HR administrative processes for field or project staff.
• computer literacy and strong mathematical, analytical, and research skills.
• excellent interpersonal and written and verbal communication skills.
• knowledge of both qualitative and quantitative research principles, concepts, practices, and methods.
• ability to develop and implement Standard Operating Procedures and administrative systems.
• strong workplan management and activity tracking skills, with ability to flag risks and variances proactively.
• ability to coordinate across multiple stakeholders and maintain clear communication without senior escalation.
• familiarity with institutional financial and HR compliance procedures, including procurement and leave management.
• ability to draft clear and accurate programme progress reports for internal and external audiences.
• ability to independently facilitate team meetings, document decisions, and follow up on action points.

Comprehensive employment reference checks will be conducted.